UNI NOVA – Research Magazine of the University of Basel

• 
  Portrait

  Not a trace of coronavirus fatigue.

  Text: Irène Dietschi / She was a rising star at the Department of Infectious Diseases, but when the coronavirus arrived, she faced her greatest challenge yet. She handled it brilliantly.

• 
  Opinion

  Should the hidden carbon footprint of AI be regulated, Frank Krysiak?

  Text: Frank Krysiak / Is a legal framework needed to regulate energy-intensive artificial intelligence applications? A debate between an environmental economist and a computer scientist.

• 
  Opinion

  Should the hidden carbon footprint of AI be regulated, Gabriele Röger?

  Text: Gabriele Röger / Is a legal framework needed to regulate energy-intensive artificial intelligence applications? A debate between a computer scientist and an environmental economist.

• 
  In pictures

  Petrified water.

  Text: Angelika Jacobs / Thousands of years compacted into just a few centimeters of rock: stalagmites contain a valuable climate record that stretches back farther than tree rings or ice cores.

• 
  Research

  Plants capture mercury from the air.

  Text: Yvonne Vahlensieck / As a result of human activities, the amount of mercury in circulation is ever-increasing. To protect both health and the environment, it is important to understand the processes by which this pollutant spreads through soils, air and water – and in which plants appear to play a key role.

• 
  Research

  Core components for energy-saving electronics.

  Text: Christine Möller / Topological insulators are an entirely new class of materials boasting unique properties that make them promising candidates for energy-saving, high-performance electronics and quantum computers.

• 
  Research

  Smart molecules heal wounds.

  Text: Angelika Jacobs / When a serious injury occurs, bleeding can overwhelm the body’s healing mechanisms. Artificial molecules could help by giving a boost to the clotting process.

• 
  Opinion

  The ghost in the machine.

  Text: Markus Schöbel / How high-risk industries are sustained by a culture of safety.

• 
  Alumni

  Between literature and geography.

  Interview: Bettina Volz-Tobler / Dr. Barbara Piatti mediates between academia and the public. She manages and develops interdisciplinary and cultural history projects, creating formats ranging from books to digital portals, festivals to audio dramas and staged walks – both on her own initiative and on behalf of official bodies, institutions and businesses.